Outstanding achievements of innovation and technology were again on display at TechFW’s annual Impact Showcase and Awards event Thursday evening at Dickies Arena.
This year’s showcase marked the 25th anniversary of TechFW, an accelerator and incubator for technology startups, which is supported by angel investors through Cowtown Angels.
The event drew 45 attendees, who had the opportunity to engage with the 35 exhibitors, representing business founders, researchers and investors.
Awards were presented in several categories, including the coveted Impact Award, which this year went to Cx Precision Medicine, leading experts in blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Cx Precision Medicine’s technology brings precision to diagnoses and represents a paradigm shift away from one-size-fits-all treatments by recognizing differences among patients based on their genetics, environment and lifestyle.
“We’re thrilled to be working to change expectations for those suffering neurodegenerative diseases,” said Cx Precision CEO Danguole Altman. “And we’re very honored to be recognized.”
The 2023 Legacy Award was presented posthumously to David Chappell for decades of support and service to the innovation community. Chappell was a founding committee member of TechFW as well as a longtime advisor and member of Cowtown Angels. His son Wade Chappell and daughter Paige Prichett, along with other family members, accepted the award.
“Congrats to Cx Precision and the other outstanding companies and partners we honored tonight,” said Hayden Blackburn, executive director of TechFW. “The Impact Showcase and Awards is a wonderful opportunity to invite the community to see the impactful work tech companies in our community are doing in their respective industries. It is too important not to share.”
Event sponsors were Lyda Hill Philanthropies, BioLabs Pegasus Park, Armanino, Silicon Valley Bank and the Institute for Entrepreneurial and Innovation at Texas Christian University.
Other awards included:
- Rising Stars: Barricade Therapeutics, Galaxy Unmanned Systems and Summa Bio Solutions.
- People’s Choice Award: Shawna Murphy and Jacqui Wilson, founders of Style Smart Virtual Assistants, were the popular choice of attendees at the event.
Lasting Impact Awards:
- Entrepreneur: Richie Petronis & Jerry Boonyaratanakornkit of Fort Worth Diagnostics for their investment in building lab space at TechFW.
- Investor: Carolyn Cason for years of active service and support to Cowtown Angels, including chairing the Screening Committee, Steering Council, and leading due diligence activities.
- Mentor: Logan Speights for years of support to the MCrew mentoring program and TechFW members.
